Kerala Trekker Rescued By Army After Being Trapped In Hill Cleft For 2 Days

The Indian Army personnel rescued the 23-year-old boy trapped in a hill cleft for two days without food and water. R Babu went on a trek with his friends on February 7. Later he got trapped on the steep face of a canyon in the district of Palakkad in Kerala. Babu and his friends had begun climbing Cherad Hill, who abandoned the trek halfway up.

Babu kept climbing even after his friends left the trek and reached the top but slipped from the hill and was trapped between two rocks. According to NDTV reports, the man has been stuck for 24 hours, and video from a drone shows him sitting in what appears to be a precarious position on the cliff.

Rescue Operation

The Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan attempted to get the Army involved in the man's rescue several times. There were a variety of attempts, including those made by the Coast Guard from Kochi, the fire-fighting unit, the police, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), but they were not sufficient to get the man to safety.

Kerala CM also spoke about the incident and said the efforts are in full swing to rescue the youth. He took to his official Twitter handle and informed that the efforts to rescue the man were in full swing.

Post Rescue Operation

After R Babu was rescued, he was pictured wearing a t-shirt and shorts, surrounded by smiling military personnel. Many took selfies and flashed the victory sign. In a video shared by ANI, R Babu said, "Thank you so much, Indian Army," while sitting among army men. In a gesture of thanks, he kisses the soldiers and joins them in chanting, "Indian Army ki Jai, Bharat Mata ki Jai".

While describing the rescue operation Lt Gen A Arun, CMO, Dakshin Bharat Area, said, "Teams from Bangalore Parachute Regiment Centre were mobilised. Additionally, a skilled high altitude warfare team and highly experienced mountaineers were deployed at Madras Regiment Centre in Wellington," quoted NDTV.

He also thanked Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for coordinating with the Air Force and arranging an airlift for the Army team from Bengaluru. According to him, the army team walked all night and, when dawn broke, the drones and cameras on board were able to determine the man's exact location.

The two men of the Madra Regimental Team rappelled down the 250-foot distance until they reached Babu, and opted to pull this young man up instead of taking him down the hill. He was almost physically, bodily carried uphill by two members of this descent team," said Lt Gen A Arun.

Kerala CM Vijayan took to Twitter to thank the officials involved in the rescue operation and said he would provide the youth with care so he could recover. He wrote, "Worries have been put to rest as the young man trapped in the Cherad hill in Malampuzha has been rescued. The treatment & care needed to regain his health will be provided now. Thanks to the soldiers who led the rescue operation and everyone who provided timely support."

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